1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of application migration and more particularly to Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP/Perl/Python (LAMP) stack data migration.
2. Description of the Related Art
The acronym LAMP refers to a computing solution stack of different computer programs supporting dynamic content distribution and network distributable applications. LAMP, as it is known in the art, originates from the arrangement of a Linux flavored operating system, an Apache type Web server; a MySQL database management system and a scripting interpreter such as personal home page (PHP) interpreter, or a programming extraction and reporting language (PERL) interpreter, or a Python interpreter, to name a few. This arrangement defines a Web server infrastructure and a programming paradigm of developing applications accessible through the Web server infrastructure. Of note, the programmatic components of the LAMP stack are open-source components and have become popular because of the low cost of acquisition of each component and because of the ubiquity of each component which often are bundled together in a single Linux distribution irrespective of the flavor of Linux.
Though the LAMP stack provides the advantage of a low cost of acquisition, the total cost of ownership of a LAMP stack supported solution can be significant. In this regard, a degree of expertise often is required to deploy and maintain a LAMP stack supported solution which generally requires a substantially skilled information technology workforce. In this regard, while configuring a Linux distribution for the specific architecture of a host operating platform can be a substantial endeavor alone, configuring each component of the LAMP stack for interoperability with one another and to accommodate the specific architecture of a host operating platform can be even more of a significant endeavor. The problem of managing a LAMP stack supported solution in one host operating platform can be compounded when migrating a LAMP stack supported solution from one operating platform to another.
Currently, when migrating a LAMP stack supported solution from one host operating platform to another, the system administrator first must manually copy the configuration and data files of the LAMP stack from the source operating platform to the target operating platform. Additionally, the system administrator must translate the configuration files to accommodate the nature of the target operating platform. As it is understood in the art, however, the LAMP stack requires a high degree of customization. In consequence, manually translating the configuration files to accommodate the nature of the target operating platform can be an error prone process, even for the most skilled system administrator. Additionally, the migration of the LAMP stack in many cases requires the upgrade of the operating system of the target operating platform from one operating system level to another.